1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to post structures and, more particularly, to post footings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide a post with a weakened section that allows the post to bend upon impact according to a predetermined pattern. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,253 issued on Jan. 19, 1999 to Lapointe discloses a collapsible post comprising an elongated post section adapted to be connected in an end-to-end relationship with an anchoring member or post shoe driven into the ground. The shoe is provided at an upper end thereof with a socket for receiving and retaining the lower end of a connecting member. Likewise, the upper end of the connecting member is received and held in a socket defined in the lower end of the elongated post section, thereby physically connecting the shoe to the post section.
One problem associated with this type of post construction is that when hammered driven into the ground, the shoe can be deformed, for instance, as a result of a collision with an obstacle. In certain instances, the deformation may be such as to interfere with the subsequent insertion of the connecting member into the shoe, thereby preventing the post section from being mounted onto the shoe. In such cases, the shoe has to be removed from the ground and replaced by a new one.
Therefore, there is a need for a new post anchoring footing.